Update: HTC has just confirmed the the Deluxe Audio Strap does indeed launch on June 6th.
Original story: Now that the Vive Trackers are shipping to developers, the next big launch for HTC’s VR headset is the Deluxe Audio Strap, and Microsoft may have just filled us in on when it’s coming.
Pre-orders for the strap are now live over on the Microsoft Store. HTC previously announced that the device would go on sale this June, but Microsoft appears to have narrowed the exact date down to 6/5/2017. Of course, there’s every possibility this is just a placeholder date, so we’ve reached out to HTC to confirm if it’s legitimate. Even if it’s not, you shouldn’t have too much longer to wait to get your hands on a pair.
The Audio Strap costs $99.99, and brings Vive a little closer to the design of the Oculus Rift, which already features its own integrated audio headphones. You can adjust the height and position of the headphones for comfort and easily swap it back round with the standard strap. Right now if you want to use headphones with the kit you have to plug some into an audio jack, which leaves an extra wire dangling around the already-tangled setup. We’ve used the strap at several events now, and they’re definitely preferable to the current solution.
Future shipments of HTC’s Vive Business Edition will come with the audio strap bundled in, though we don’t know of any plans to bundle the device with traditional consumer units right now. We’re sure some fans would like that option, though.
Once the Audio Strap is out we’ll be looking towards the full consumer launch of the Vive Tracker, which is expected for later this year.
